Opt-In Consent and Opt-Out Messages for Compliant Texting

Summary

This article explains how Sierra's built-in opt-in and opt-out messaging works, when the opt-out message is appended to your texts, what happens when a lead replies STOP or START, and how the Primary Manager can customize the message.

Table of Contents

1. Why This Feature Matters
2. How Consent and Opt-Out Messaging Works
   1. Opt-In Consent Message at Registration
   2. Automatic Opt-Out Message in Texts
   3. When the Opt-Out Message Stops Appearing
   4. Customizing the Opt-Out Message
   5. STOP, START, and HELP Keywords
3. Best Practices
4. Troubleshooting Common Issues
5. FAQs

Why This Feature Matters

To help you stay compliant with telecommunications and data privacy laws like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Sierra automatically includes opt-in language on your website registration forms and appends opt-out messages to automated and mass texts. These built-in safeguards:

• Reduce compliance risk — consent is collected and opt-out instructions are delivered without any manual effort from you or your team
• Improve message deliverability — carriers are more likely to deliver texts that follow consent and opt-out standards
• Maintain trust with your leads — leads always know how to stop receiving messages, which protects your reputation and your numbers

📖 Related: For a broader look at calling and texting regulations, see Sierra Dialer Compliance: Calling and Texting Regulations Overview.

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How Consent and Opt-Out Messaging Works

Sierra handles the technical and legal requirements for you in two places: a consent notice when a lead registers on your website, and an automatic opt-out message appended to automated and mass texts. Here's how each works.

Opt-In Consent Message at Registration

When a lead registers on your Sierra website, they see this consent message:

By proceeding, you expressly consent to receive calls and texts at the number you provided, including marketing by auto-dialer, pre-recorded or artificial voice, and email, from {Office Name} about real estate-related matters, but not as a condition of purchase. Message frequency varies. You can text Help for help and Stop to cancel. You also agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Message and data rates may apply. This consent applies even if you are on a corporate, state, or national Do Not Call list.

Key details:

• {Office Name} is pulled automatically from the Office Name field in your Account Contact Info settings
• Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are hyperlinked within the message
• The message appears at the point of registration, so consent is captured before any texting begins

📖 Related: To see where a lead's consent status is recorded, see How to Access Comms Consent for New and Existing Leads.

Automatic Opt-Out Message in Texts

Sierra appends this message to automated and mass texts:

If you don't want to receive future text messages from me, reply STOP to cancel. – {Office Name}

On the first automated or mass text to a lead:

The opt-out message is appended for leads from non-exempted sources. Leads from the following sources are exempted from the append on their first message, because opt-in consent is already captured when the lead is created:

• Sierra websites — leads who registered directly on your Sierra-provided frontend website
• Zillow — leads added via Sierra's direct API or email-to-lead integration
• Realtor.com — leads added via Sierra's direct API or email-to-lead integration
• HomeLight — leads added via Sierra's email-to-lead integration

On later automated or mass texts:

The opt-out message is appended to texts sent to all leads, regardless of source including leads from exempted sources. It repeats at most once every 30 days and continues until the lead engages with your texts in an ongoing conversation.

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When the Opt-Out Message Stops Appearing

The auto-appended opt-out message stops once the lead engages by replying to a message from your Sierra Dialer number. After a lead responds:

• Auto-appended opt-out messages no longer appear on texts to that lead
• The 30-day repeat cycle ends for that lead

Customizing the Opt-Out Message

Because of its compliance importance, the opt-out message can only be modified by the account's Primary Manager. To customize it:

1. Click the gear icon in your Sierra CRM
2. Select Global Site Settings
   
3. Scroll to the Lead Opt-In / Consent section
4. Edit the opt-out message text
5. Save your changes

Requirements: Your customized message must always end with the words "reply STOP to cancel." followed by your {Office Name} value, which is pulled from the Office Name field in your Account Contact Info settings.

📖 Related: For everything else in this settings area, see Global Site Settings: Leads, Permissions, and Compliance.

STOP, START, and HELP Keywords

Leads can manage their texting preferences by replying with standard keywords:

• STOP — the lead is opted out of text messages from your Sierra Dialer number. You can still call and email them.
• START — a lead who previously opted out can text START to your Sierra Dialer number to opt back in. This is the only way to resume texting an opted-out lead — you cannot re-opt them in on their behalf.
• HELP — referenced in the registration consent language as a way for leads to get assistance.

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Best Practices

• Keep your Office Name current in Account Contact Info — it populates both the consent message and the opt-out message, so an outdated name creates confusion and compliance risk
• Monitor text engagement — avoid sending repeated automated messages to leads who never respond; low engagement hurts deliverability
• Train your team on what triggers auto-appended opt-out messages so no one is surprised when the extra line appears on automated or mass texts
• Respect opt-outs immediately — never attempt to work around a STOP request; switch to calling or email instead
• Review your automated content — because the opt-out line adds length, keep Action Plan and mass text copy concise so messages don't split awkwardly

📖 Related: For deliverability guidance, see How to Avoid Blocked Texts and Get More Replies with Sierra.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

• A lead texted STOP, but you want to re-engage them by text.
  The lead must text START to your Sierra Dialer number. You cannot opt a lead back in on their behalf. In the meantime, you can still call or email them.
• The opt-out message keeps re-appearing on texts to the same lead.
  The lead hasn't engaged with your texts yet. The auto-appended message repeats at most once every 30 days until the lead responds — once they reply, it stops.
• The opt-out message shows the wrong office name.
  Click the gear icon and select Account Contact Info, then update the Office Name field. The {Office Name} merge field pulls directly from that setting.
• You can't edit the opt-out message in Global Site Settings.
  Only the account's Primary Manager can modify the Lead Opt-In / Consent settings. Ask your Primary Manager to make the change.

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FAQs

• Do 1:1 or group texts include the opt-out message?
  No. Manual 1:1 and group texts do not include the auto-appended opt-out message. It only applies to automated and mass texts.
• If a lead responds once, will they see the opt-out message again?
  No. Once a lead replies to a message from your Sierra Dialer number, the auto-appended opt-out message stops for that lead.
• Why didn't a lead's first automated text include the opt-out message?
  The lead likely came from an exempted source — a Sierra website, Zillow, Realtor.com, or HomeLight integration — where opt-in consent is captured at creation. They'll still see the message on later automated or mass texts until they engage.
• Can I still call or email a lead who opts out of texting?
  Yes. Replying STOP only affects text messaging. Calls and emails are not impacted, though you should still honor any broader communication preferences the lead has expressed.
• Do texts from older Action Plans include the opt-out message?
  Yes. Automated texts include the opt-out message regardless of when the Action Plan was created, unless the lead has already replied to a previous message.
• Where can I see whether a lead has opted in or out?
  A lead's consent status is visible on their record. See How to Access Comms Consent for New and Existing Leads for details.
• Can I turn off the auto-appended opt-out message entirely?
  No. The message language can be customized in Global Site Settings, but the append itself cannot be disabled, and the required ending ("reply STOP to cancel." plus your Office Name) cannot be removed.

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